Habitat selection in drift feeding fishes, the majority of stream fishes in North America, is strongly affected by velocity, as well as other environmental and intrinsic characteristics of an individual drift feeder (e.g., size and dominance status). Our study subject, the Brook Charr (Salvelinus fontinalis Mitchill), is a widely distributed and economically important salmonid fish which exists in a variety of forms. We tested the effects of water velocity, fish size, days in captivity, dominance status, and size rank on prey capture success, holding velocity, and reactive distance of wild Southern Brook Charr (SBC), a rare subspecies. Mechanistic studies of foraging dynamics of drift feeders are not common. Prey capture success was negatively related to water velocity, holding velocity was positively related to water velocity, and larger, dominant fish had greater prey capture success than smaller subordinates. Prey capture success declined from 10 to 60 cm·s^–1. Reactive distances were not strongly or consistently affected by any treatment variables. Our data indicate that all else being equal, Southern Brook Charr will forage well in streams with abundant velocities up to 30 cm·s^–1.

漂流饲养鱼类（北美的大多数河流鱼类）的栖息地选择受速度以及个体漂流饲养者的其他环境和内在特征（例如，大小和优势地位）的强烈影响。我们的研究对象 Brook Charr ( Salvelinus fontinalisMitchill）是一种分布广泛且具有重要经济意义的鲑鱼，以多种形式存在。我们测试了水流速度、鱼的大小、圈养天数、优势地位和大小等级对野生南溪夏尔 (SBC)（一种罕见的亚种）的猎物捕获成功率、保持速度和反应距离的影响。漂流饲养者觅食动力学的机制研究并不常见。捕获猎物成功率与水流速度呈负相关，保持速度与水流速度呈正相关，较大的优势鱼比较小的下属鱼捕获成功率更高。猎物捕获成功率从 10 cm·s ^–1下降到 60 cm·s ^–1. 反应距离不受任何治疗变量的强烈或持续影响。我们的数据表明，在其他条件相同的情况下，Southern Brook Charr 将在流速高达 30 cm·s ^{–1 的}河流中很好地觅食。